Replacement P-bass pickup for 1970s sound

[Agent 00Soul]

Hi - the P-bass pickup on my Frankenbass are shot and need replacing.  I've always been partial to the punchy P-bass sound of the 1970s.  Think Sting, Roger Waters, Bruce Thomas.  Does anyone know if any aftermarket replacement brands lean towards that sound?  Even including the stuff Fender themselves make.  Thanks

[tegs07]

Someone please correct me if I’m wrong but both the Fender Roger Waters and Nate Mendel (based on his 70’s P) use SD Quarter Pounders.

[Groove Harder]

Aye. Canna go wrong with 1/4 pounders 👍

[Lozz196]

Most of the companies that state they do a 70s sort of sound do this via a lesser wound pickup, thinking Fralin/Creamery here.

[fretmeister]

Aguilar make some decade inspired ones. I had the 60s wind and it was ace.

 

 

I don't like Quarter Pounders as a P pickup - they have too much bass and not enough mids. They are a great powerful pickup, but they don't sound like a P pickup. They have their own thing going on. If that suits - then that's great. But it's not a P sound.

[Guest]

3 hours ago, Agent 00Soul said:

Bruce Thomas

I wonder if The Bass Centre sell individually the pickups on their Bruce Thomas Profile Bass.

 

A demo of them is at 17'50" on this review

 

 

[JohnDaBass]

DiMarzio Split P , a very wide range of tones, huge power, and great performers. Tinkering with the tone cap can offer an even broader palette of sounds.

[bloke_zero]

https://www.montysguitars.com/collections/bass-pickups/products/retro-wind-p-bass-pickup

 

Based on 70's pickup with a bit more bottom end (a mate may have a set to sell if you're interested).

 

I really like the EMG Geezer Butler for 70's tone though.

[MattM]

I have an EMG Geezer in my ‘78 P Franklinstein fretless, and I concur, great P sound, particularly with Chromes flats.  Instant David J from Bauhaus if that’s yer bag…

[ead]

What about something like this (no association), should be pretty punchy without the compromises you sometimes need to make with something like a Quarter Pounder (YMMV, IMHO etc.).

 

 

[acidbass]

Di Marzio for sure

[Agent 00Soul]

Thank you everyone for all this!  It's very useful - I know much more than I did when I asked the question.  An embarrassment of riches really.

[Agent 00Soul]

On 21/03/2022 at 16:32, Ricky Rioli said:

I wonder if The Bass Centre sell individually the pickups on their Bruce Thomas Profile Bass.

 

A demo of them is at 17'50" on this review

 

 

 

Wow - that's the exact sound.  It doesn't look like the pickups are sold separately unfortunately.

[Lozz196]

46 minutes ago, Agent 00Soul said:

 

Wow - that's the exact sound.  It doesn't look like the pickups are sold separately unfortunately.

Fender Custom Shop 62s don’t sound much different to those

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Agent 00Soul said:

 

Wow - that's the exact sound.  It doesn't look like the pickups are sold separately unfortunately.

 

I would give them a call, from what they say, they seem to be quite a flexible outfit, you never know

[Guest]

Buy whatever pickup you like, and if it has strong magnets then set it lower into the body away from the strings to mimic that low outpot 70s groove.

 

Coil, pole pieces, magnets on the back. There genuinely isn't a lot to distinguish most of them beyond magnet strength and number of windings.

[bloke_zero]

14 hours ago, Bassfinger said:

Buy whatever pickup you like, and if it has strong magnets then set it lower into the body away from the strings to mimic that low outpot 70s groove.

 

Coil, pole pieces, magnets on the back. There genuinely isn't a lot to distinguish most of them beyond magnet strength and number of windings.

Yes - I think this is pretty key - I measured a great sounding 74 p-bass and the pickups were really low as well - more than the current Fender reccomended amount - more like 4.5mm instead of 2.8mm

[Guest]

My Dimarzio Model P is 5mm from the steel strings, and the sound is punchy af

[Agent 00Soul]

On 22/03/2022 at 18:20, Ricky Rioli said:

 

I would give them a call, from what they say, they seem to be quite a flexible outfit, you never know

 

Many thanks for this suggestion!  They did, in fact, send me the pickups separately.  It probably wouldn't have occurred to me to ask if not for you.  They were a little confused by the fact that my P-bass pickup is installed "upside down" on my left-handed Frankenbass (treble side in the front), but they went with it in the end.  I will post a report when it's installed.

 

BTW for what it's worth, they told me a lefty version of the Bruce Thomas Profile bass is coming out around July.

[Guest]

3 hours ago, Agent 00Soul said:

Many thanks for this suggestion!  They did, in fact, send me the pickups separately.  It probably wouldn't have occurred to me to ask if not for you.  They were a little confused by the fact that my P-bass pickup is installed "upside down" on my left-handed Frankenbass (treble side in the front), but they went with it in the end.

 

I'm so pleased to hear this worked out for you

[Misdee]

My favourite in-your-face P Bass pickup is the Lakland NeoPunch. I also have a bass with the EMG Geezer Butler pickup in it and that sounds great too.  However, the DiMarzio is a pretty rowdy sounding choice, and an old favourite of mine. If you want genuine 1970s punch that would be the one to go for in my opinion.

 

Edit: just realized you already got the Bruce Thomas pickup. Funnily enough I was just watching a YT clip featuring that bass and thinking how good it sounds! Hope it works out well for you.

 

Edited April 15, 2022 by Misdee

[Agent 00Soul]

The story has a happy ending!  The Bruce Thomas pickups have been installed.  I haven't played out with them yet, but I have practiced.  The video review on YouTube posted above is quite accurate at portraying what the sound is like.  This is very much what I associate the 70s P-Bass sound with, although I guess that's actually wrong since Thomas based this on his 64 model, but souped up.  So maybe Fender's 62 reissue also sounds like this.  BTW as other reviewers have said online, these pickups are quite loud: easily the loudest bass pickups I have ever owned in fact.  But that is of no importance to me, I was concerned about the tone which is just what I was looking for.

 

Thanks everyone for all your advice!